Rodney Terrell Davis, 38, of Sebring, was found guilty as charged with Reckless Driving Causing Property Damage, Leaving the Scene of a Crash Involving Injury, Driving While Designated as a Habitual Traffic Offender, Trafficking in Ethylpentylone, Trafficking in Fentanyl, and Use or Possession with Intent to Use Drug Paraphernalia. The jury returned the guilty verdict just
after 7 p.m. Friday night, following a three-day trial in Lee County.
On June 24, 2018, at about 3:30 in the morning, a Sergeant with the Lee County Sheriff’s Office was headed home, when he witnessed a dark colored Audi sedan speeding by, going over the Midpoint Bridge. He clocked the vehicle on radar going 97 miles per hour. The driver then accelerated with a second radar reading of 127 miles per hour as he approached the tollbooth, which is a 45 mile per hour zone.
The car exited at Del Prado Boulevard in Cape Coral. As the vehicle made a right, it hit a Jeep head on that had been stopped at a red light, causing both vehicles to spin, then stop, facing the opposite directions they started from. The driver of the sedan then jumped out and fled the scene.
The defendant’s airbag deployed and blood droplets were found on the steering wheel. The blood was sent for testing and there was a DNA match to the defendant. A duffle bag was in the backseat of the car which included the defendant’s personal items such as mail and a toothbrush. The toothbrush was sent for testing and it too was a DNA match to the defendant.
Also in the bag was a trafficking amount of fentanyl and ethylpentlone, a Scheduled I narcotic. The defendant was later arrested by the Fort Myers Police Department after identifying him during a traffic stop for speeding.
Assistant State Attorney Mikala Makar and Assistant State Attorney Olivia Ferrell prosecuted the case. Sentencing is scheduled for April 18th.
Samantha Syoen – Communications Director, State Attorney’s Office